Tire grooving apparatus



Dec. 17, 1940. c. EDINGER TIRE GROOVING APPARATUS 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet lINVENTOR. CoH Edinqer.

Dec. 17, 1940. c. EDINGER TIRE GROOVING APPARATUS Filed June 17, 1939 2Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

Patented Dec. 17, 1940 n UNITED kSTA/T ES PATENT OFFICE Y 2,225,041 TranGaoovlNG APPARATUS Carl Edinger, Inglewood, Calif.

Application June 17, 1939, Serial No. 279,700

6 Claims.

This invention relates-to apparatus for cutting grooves in tires. l

'I'he general object of the invention is to provide a tire groovingapparatus which will enable a vehicle to be elevated and the apparatusmanipulated so that a tire may be regrooved without being removed fromthe vehicle.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide an accurate, quickacting, portable, grooving apparatus which is made of few parts andwhich is positive in its operation.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a novel cuttingmember for use in a tire grooving machine.

An additional object of the invention is to providea novel drive for atire grooving member.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel mounting for atire grooving member.

2 Other objects and the advantages of this invention will be apparentfrom the following description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary side elevation showing a portion of anautomobile tire and my apparatus in position to cut a groove in thetire;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation with parts broken away showing my tiregrooving apparatus;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view showingthe cutting member andassociated parts;

Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view showing the supporting member and my tiregrooving apparatus; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional detail taken on line 5-5, Fig. 2. I

Referring to the drawings by reference characters I have shown myinvention as embodied in a tire grooving machine which is indicatedgenerally at I0. In the following description I refer to the apparatusdisclosed as adapted for use in grooving the tires of vehicles, but itwill be understood that the apparatus may be used with equal facility incutting or grooving other l soft or semi-hard material such as wood,leather,

45 plastics, meat, etc.

In the accompanying drawings the apparatus is shown` as mounted on abase which includes side plates II. These side plates are connected bytransverse rods I2 and I3 located near the .50 upper portions of theplates and by a rod I4 located near the bottom of the plate. Each sideplate includes spaced protruding legs I5 which are preferably coveredwith rubber as at I6 with the rubber preferably corrugated as at I1 to55 prevent slipping.

(ci. 8'2-4) Y Slidably mounted on the rods I2 and I3 I show suitablesupports I8." These supports II!y engage a table I9 which includes sides20, ends 2l and a top 22. The table includes a depending threaded member23, the threads of which engage a screw 24 which is rotatably supportedin one end plate II and having on each side thereof collars 25 and isadapted to be rotated by a crank handle 26. The construction is suchthat when the handle 26 is rotated the carriage 22 is reciprocated. Acollar 21 on the screw limits the movement of the carriage. The carriageincludes upwardly extending brackets 28 which support parallel spacedrods 29.

A cutter base 30 includes brackets 3I which u slidably engage the rods29 thus allowing Athe cutter base to be reciprocated towards and fromthe work. A spring 32 engaging a screw 33 on the carriage at one end and`having its other end secured in an apertured bracket on the cutter 20base 30 serves to urge the cutter base towards the work. The cutter base30 includes an upwardly extending support 34 having an integral bearingblock 35 thereon.

The operating tool or cutter is indicated at 25 36 and includes acylindrical body 31 having a. tapered axial bore 38 which extends fromthe rear end thereof to the forward end. The exterior of the cutter hasthe forward end tapered as at 39 so that the extreme end forms a knife30 edge 40 which performs the cutting operation. The rear end of thetool is threaded and fits within a hollow shaft 4I. The shaft 4I andtool 31 preferably have a bevelled engaging portion 42 where they meet.35

The shaft 4I has the inner elements of a pair of ball races 43 mountedthereon, while the outer elements of the ball races are mounted inrecesses 44 in the bearing block. The ball races are spaced apart sothat a drive member shown o as a pulley 45 may be arranged between them.The pulley 45 is arranged on the shaft 4I being held thereon by a key4B.

Mounted within the shaft 4I I arrange a sleeve 41 which is pressed intothe bearing block and 45 which extends within the shaft 4I.

The support 34 includes a cylindrical recess 48 which is intersected bya slot 49 as best shown in Fig. 2. Within the recess 48 I mount a rod5I) the outer end of which is bifurcated as at 5I 50 to receive a roller52 having a centrali groove 53 therearound. The roller 52 is mounted ona shaft 54 rotatably supported by the rod 50 and the roller is soarranged (see Figs. 1 and 3) that it engages a tire adjacent to the tool31. The 55 rearof the rod 60 is engaged by a screw 66 having a handwheel 56 thereon and threaded in the support 34 so that the position ofthe screw determines the rear limit of movement of the roller 52.

The table I6 includes an inclined portion 61 which supports a motor 66,the latter including a shaft 59 on which a pulley 60 is mounted. Thepulley 60 drives a belt 6I which passes over the l pulley 45 previouslydescribed so that when the motor is operated the pulley 45 drives thetool 31.-

A screw 62 is mounted on the cutter base 30 and extends through thisbase and engages one of the rods 29. By tightening the screw 62 the lcutter base will be held in retracted position.

In use the apparatus is arranged adjacent to a tire 63 and the cutter 31is brought against the tire after which the hand wheel 66 is rotated sothat the screw 55 shifts the roller 52 to the desired position so thatthe correct depth of cut is secured. The motor is then started and thecutting tool revolved. 'I'he tire 63 is then rotated about its axis anda strip of material 64 is cut from the tire thus forming a groove. Thematerial 64 passes through the cutter bore and through the sleeve 41.

The resiliency of the spring 32 causes the cutter base to be movedrearwardly whenever a bump on a tire engages the wheel 49 and this waythere is no likelihood of the tire being gouged. The taper in the boreof the cutting tool 31 prevents clogging in the tool.

After a groove is cut the cutter base is moved rearwardly and the screw62 tightened to hold the cutter base in this position so that it may bemoved for a fresh cut. 'I'he relation of the cutter with respect to theface of the tire may be fixed by rotating the handle 26 and thus movingthe cutter base acros's the face of the tire.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that I have inventeda novel tire grooving apparatus which can be economically manufacturedand which is highly elcient for its intended purpose.

45 Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a tire grooving apparatus, a support, a cutter base mounted toreciprocate on said support, a hollow shaft rotatably mounted on saidcutter base, means to drive said shaft, a tool 50 mounted on said shaft,said tool having a tapered bore therethrough, said tool having asimilarly tapered exterior surface to provide a forward cutting edge,and a pair of wheels shiftably mounted on said support and movablerelative to 55 said cutting tool, said cutting tool bore being disposedbetween said wheels.

2. In a tire grooving apparatus, a base, a table mounted to reciprocateon said base, a cutter base mounted to reciprocate on said first men- 60tioned base, resilient means to urge said cutter base in one direction,a support on said cutter vbase, a hollow shaft rotatably mounted on saidsupport, means to drive said shaft, said shaft including a threadedportion, a tool engaging said 65 threaded portion, said tool having atapered bore therethrough, said tool having a tapered exterior surfaceto provide a forward cutting edge, and a pair of wheels shiftablymounted on said support and movable relative to said cutting tool, said70 cutting tool bore being disposed above and between said wheels.

3. In a tire grooving apparatus. a base, a table mounted to reciprocateon said base, a cutter base mounted to reciprocate on said flrstmentioned base, a support on said cutter base, a hollow shaft rotatablymounted on said support, means to drive said shaft, said shaft includinga threaded portion, a tool engaging said threaded portion, said toolhaving a tapered bore therethrough, said tool having a. tapered exteriorsurface to provide a forward cutting edge, and guide means shiftablymounted on said rod support and movable relative to said cutting tool,said cutting tool bore being disposed above said guide means.

4. In a tire grooving apparatus, a base, a table mounted to reciprocateon said base, a cutter base mounted to reciprocate on said rst mentionedbase, resilient means to urge said cutter base in one direction, asupport on said cutter base, said support having a bearing blockthereon, a hollow shaft rotatably mounted in said bearing block, apulley keyed on said shaft, said shaft including a threaded portion, atool engaging said threadedportion, said tool having a tapered boretherethrough, said tool having a tapered exterior surface to provide aforward cutting edge, a pair of wheels shiftably mounted on said supportand movable relative to said cutting rod, said cutting tool bore beingdisposed above and between said Wheels.

5. In a tire grooving apparatus, a base, a table mounted to reciprocateon said base, means for reciprocating the table on the base, a pluralityof rods on the base, a cutter base mounted to reciprocate onsaid rods,resilient means to urge said cutter base in one direction, a support onsaid cutter base, said support having a bearing block thereon, a hollowshaft rotatably mounted in said bearing block, a pulley on said shaft, atool on said shaft, said tool having a tapered bore therethrough, saidtool having a tapered exterior surface to provide a forward cuttingedge, a sleeve in said shaft, a rod slidably mounted on said supportadjacent to said cutter, wheels on said rod, and means to shift saidrod.

6. In a tire grooving apparatus, a base, a table mounted to reciprocateon said base, hand operated means for reciprocating the table on'thebase, a plurality of rods on the base, a cutter base mounted toreciprocate on said rods in a direction at right angles to the path ofsaid table, resilient means to urge said cutter base in one direction,clamp means to hold the cutter base against the action of said resilientmeans, a support on said cutter base, said support having a bearingblock thereon, a hollow shaft rotatably mounted in said bearing block, apulley keyedv on said shaft, said shaft including a threaded portion, atool engaging said threaded portion, said tool having a tapered boretherethrough, said tool having a tapered exterior surface to provide aforward cutting edge, a sleeve in said shaft, a rod slidably mounted onsaid support, a pair of wheels rotatably mounted on said last mentionedrod, a threaded member mounted on said support and engaging said lastmentioned rod, the axis of said cutting tool bore being disposed in aplane between said wheels.

CARL EDINGER.

